Ignition system for explosion-engines.



I R. VARLEY. IGNITION SYSTEM FOR EXPLOSION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1908.

91 5,639. Patented Mar. 16, 1909.

I HIIIII-IIIIHIIIIIIIH a I III" I l- -l I II lllll y 21 lllumu'l' im 351:; l dttoznews To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD vAnLEY, or ENGLEW'OOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR ToI'rHE-aU'rooorL COMPANY,

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Original application filed. December 1,

Be it known that I, Brennan VARLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Englewood, in the county of 'Ber en and State of New Jersey, have invents certain new and useful Improvements in I ition Systems forExplosion-Engines, of winch the I following is a full, clear, and exact descripduration.

- spect to the stroke of the engine.

speeds.

tion. 9

This invention relates to ignition systems forexplosion' engines, and more particularly to an arrangement b which the duration of the primary circuit 0 osure is varied with re The ordinary circuit controlling device for an ignition system is and-closes the circuits of'an induction coil, or, more generally, a plurality of-induction coils at fixed intervals mined duration or dwell. The longer the period of circuit closure or dwell, the more certain the ignition becomes, but, on the other hand, a long circuit closure consumes an excessive battery current, and, in many cases uselessly, since the engine ordinarily operates properly with very short current the contro ing device is e so that the primary igh speedsthan at low sirable, especially as driven by the en dwell is less at It is the principal object of my present invention to ave the primary circuit closure or dwell controllable so as to be suited to the conditions.

In m prior application filedDec. 1, 1906, Serial 0. 345,864, of which the present case is a divisional application, the present conform of an invention for accomplishing, the above stated purposes. The? present 'construction includes, however, several broadly stated features of inventiondistinct from the subject matter to which said parent case is now restricted.

The invention of the present application may be said to consist in a means for effecting the above described variation of the primary circuit closure or dwell by the use of separate controllers or banks of segments having a common, rotatable element and having the segments or contacts ofdiiierent angular extents in the different series or banks, and which are adapted to be used in Specification of Letters Patent.

1906, Serial No. ceases. Divided mi an application filed June 4, ma;

SerialNmSBfiQ. I

circuit controller driven by the engine.

and for a predeter-k notes segments in the Some means for reglililation is detively.

"Tatented March 16, 1909.

a multiple or parallel circuit at certain times. At other times, short segments or contacts is used The invention more particularly consists in the features of construction and combination as hereinafter set forth and shown and finally particularly pointed out in the apnded claims. In the drawing matic view showing an ignition system and embodying the principles of m invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectiona view through the circuit controller.

In the form of the invention shown there are two separate'arms 1'3 and 14 each havin a roller 15 and 16 and each springimpelleil outward by springs 17. 18 indicates segments in the path of the roller 15, and '19 death of the roller 16. The segments 18 are onger than the segments 19. In practice the segments 18 may be made twice as long as the segments 19,

for. example, 50 and 25 of angular range res ectively. All of these segments are embe( ded in the usual insulating casing 20, so as to be concentric with .the shaft 1. The

only the bank or series of arm 13 is permanently grounded on the shaft 1, but the arm 14 is insulated from the shaft 1, but has a plate 21 by which continuous electrical connection is made with the brush 22. The battery and induction coils are denominated B and O, C, C", and C, res ec- The batter has terminals 1 an I", and the coilsC C C have connections n nf'n n. with the segments 18. .Additional connections 0 o, o 0 are, however, rovided to connect the segments 18 with t e corresponding segments 19. The battery terminal Z has a ermanent connection with brush 22 and a. so with switch arm'23, and a rin 24, concentric with the shaft 1. The switcfi arm moves into and out of contact with the permanently grounded contact stud 25, and the rin 24 may be grounded by rollers 26 normally spring pressed inward, but adapted to be thrown outward by centrifugal force. A mechanical construction for these rollers is shown in my Patent No. 885,894, and forms novpart of the present invention.

The operation is" as follows: With the parts in the position shown, current flows rom battery B, through wire 1', wire m,

coil Cflvibrator v, wire n, wire 0, segment wire I", back to battery. There is no circuit through the segments 18 because the ter:

minal'l of the battery is not grounded under. these circumstances, so that there can be no completion of the battery circuit by the action ofthe roller in grounding the segments 18. The primary circuit closure or dwell therefore corresponds only to the length of the segments 19, amounting to about This corres onds to normal tions, but i it is desired to attain high speed or climb a hill, the switch arm 23 is moved'on. 'topoint 25, 'so as to establish a ground connection for the battery terminal Z". Under these circumstances the grounding of segments 18 becomes effective to complete the primary circuits in an obvious manner, and the circuit closure or dwell is for the entire length thereof corresponding to about 25 or 50 in practice. This result may be secured automatically by having therollers 26 fly outward at a definite speed to engage the ring 24:. When this occurs the primary circuits of the induction coils are completed during the entire length of time that the roller 15v is in contact with the long segments 18, instead of the shorter interval while the roller 16 is in contact with se ments 19. The primary dwell is therefore engthened with respect to the engine stroke when the rollers 26 fly outward. The adjustment may be set for 30 miles an hour, so that the ring 24 is automatically grounded at this speed and the increased dwell provided for.

The rollers or other contact arms 15 and 16 are, of course, adapted to initially engage their respective segments at the same moment, so that the beginning of the circuit closure occurs at the same time whether only one or both are in the circuit. In case both are in the circuit, however, the circuit closure or dwell continues for a longer period in the engine stroke, although this may notbe an actually longer time interval, as the engine is generally running rapidly when the long segments are used. The operator therefore experiences no noticeable change of conditions in goin from one circuit condition to the other. his is very im ortant as it would, of course, be impractica le tohave to change the position of the circuit'controller whenever the circuit conditions were chan ed by the switch 23.

I c 0 not, of course, desire to be limited or restricted to the particular construction of circuit controller having segments and a revoluble arm as shown, nor to the particular number of coils shown.

What I claim is:

1. In an ignition system having a primary circuit, a pair of members adapted to have a continuous angular displacement with re-' spect to one another in one direction, contacts carried by, one of said members, and contact for example, as above stated.

running cond1-' emcee multiple circuit, whereby the primary dwell is varied.

2. In an ignition system, an induction coil anda primary circuit controller therefor, including a plurality of rotating contact arms, contacts of different angular extent in the paths of said contact arms, and means for including the contacts of one angular extent, or the contacts of another angular extent simultaneously in parallel with said contacts of one angular extent, in said primary circuit,

whereby the primary dwell is varied.

3. In an ignition system, an induction coil and a primary circuit controller therefor, including a plurality of rotating devices in different planes,sets of contacts in the planes of diflerent of said devices, the contacts of difierent sets having a difierent angular ex tent, and means for including the contactsof different sets and their corresponding devices in said primary circuit, whereby the primary dwell is varied.

d. In an ignition system, an induction coil and a primary circuit controller therefor, including a plurality of rotating devices in different planes, and contacts in the planes of diflerent of said devices, the contacts of different planes having a different angular extent, contact studs corresponding in numof contacts of different angular extents and located in different transverse planes, and a switch for putting the contacts of one or more than one of said in said circuit. 1

6. In an ignition system having a primary circuit, a circuit controller having a plurality of contacts of different angular extents and located in. different transverse planes, a continuously rotating shaft having metallic parts 1n difl'erentplanes to engage said contacts,

planes simultaneously anda switch for putting the contacts of one or more than one of said ously in said circuit.

7. In an ignition system, an induction coil and a primary circuit controller therefor, ineluding a plurality of rotating devices in different planes and contacts in the planes of planes simultanedifferent of said devices, the contacts of different devices having a different angular extent,

and automatic means controlled by thespeed extent and a centrifugally operated device of the engine for including the contacts of for automatically including the contacts of different planes and their corresponding dedifferent planes and their corresponding de vices in said primary circuit, whereby the vices in said primary circuit, whereby the primary dwell is varied. l primary dwell is varied.

8. In an ignition system, an induction coil In witness whereof, I subscribe my signaand a primary circuit controller therefor, inture, in the presence of two witnesses. eluding a plurality of rotating devices in RICHARD YABLEY. different planes and contacts in the planes of V Witnesses: y

10 different of said devices, the contacts of the WALDO M. CHAPIN, different devices having a difierent angular v MARY S. HANDY. 

